Mercury Morris, a fixture on the legendary Miami Dolphins teams of the 1970s, has died at the age of 77, the team announced Sunday.

“We are deeply saddened by the passing of Dolphins great Mercury Morris, a two-time Super Bowl champion and beloved member of the 1972 Perfect Team,” the Dolphins said in a statement. “Morris left a lasting impression through his dynamic play, personality and record-breaking accomplishments. He loved the Dolphins, the fans and the South Florida community and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest players to wear the aqua and orange. Our hearts are with his family, loved ones and teammates as they honor his life and mourn his passing.”

Morris played seven of his eight NFL seasons with the Dolphins, winning two Super Bowls and being selected to the Pro Bowl three times during his time with Miami.

An All-American in college at West Texas A&M, Morris was selected by Miami in the third round of the 1969 AFL-NFL Draft — one season after the Dolphins selected running backs Larry Czonka and Jim Kiick. Together, the trio would form one of the most formidable rushing stables in NFL lore.

In 99 career games, Morris rushed for 4,133 yards and 31 touchdowns on 804 carries (5.1 yards per carry), and added 2,947 yards (26.5 per return) and three touchdowns on kick returns. All told, Morris’ career rushing total was 7,794 yards.

Morris combined his skills with the Dolphins’ RB trio and initially made his mark on special teams, replacing Kiick at halfback.

Morris made an immediate impact for the Dolphins with his game-changing explosiveness. Highlighted by a 105-yard kick return for a score in his very first game, Morris led the league in kick returns (43) and kick return yards (1,136) as a Dolphins rookie in 1969.

From 1971 to 1973, Morris won three consecutive Pro Bowls, and it was perhaps no coincidence that the Dolphins reached three consecutive Super Bowls during the same span.

Although he was upset about his playing time in the 1971 season, Morris made the most of his touches. He rushed for 315 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry and had 423 kick returns with an AFC-leading 28.2-yard average. Miami would lose to the Dallas Cowboys in Super Bowl VI, 24-3. Morris did not have a carry or catch in the game, but returned four kickoffs (22.5-yard average).

It was in the ’72 and ’73 seasons that Morris emerged as the explosive running back he perhaps always had been.